With this backdrop, it’s easy to see why a crowd soon formed around the body – whipped into a frenzy as much by the injustice as by the insane heat of the day.

Scores of people were soon surrounding the body, some with their shirts off and others trying to catch a bit of shade underneath umbrellas.

The core group of demonstrators – the witnesses who had been there when the chengguan 'murder' took place - were demanding tens of thousands of yuan in compensation.

As his friends' demands fell into a sheepish silence, the newly revived chengguan victim was given a bottle of water and allowed to go on his way

But, just when their demands were reaching fever pitch, the body under the sheet started twitching.

Dramatically, the corpse suddenly flung off his shroud, sat bolt upright and begged the crowd to quench his thirst.

As his friends’ demands fell into a sheepish silence, the newly revived chengguan victim was given a bottle of water and allowed to go on his way.

It is unclear whether the local authorities intend to prosecute the man and his friends for their apparent scam, but there is no doubt that some Wuhan residents will forever check for signs of life when presented with a dead body.